Camping on the beach at Padre Island

[Kidoo]

Hi, looking for info. about camping on the beach at Padre Island Texas with a class A. I was there with the Truck Camper but was wondering if I could go with the Class A.

Thanks

[Kidoo]

Good trick to get out of the sand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv507kqSruc

[Kidoo]

Here is a few Class A at Pismo Beach Ca.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fzCd0bGs1M

[bob_nestor]

Kidoo wrote:

bob_nestor wrote:

barmcd wrote:
I don't know that I'd take something that heavy out on that sand. I've never seen a class A out there at the National Seashore. It's a pretty expensive tow is you get stuck.

There are 18-wheelers that travel the first couple of miles down the beach every day servicing the oil wells out there.

Ok, so the road must be pretty hard, sounds good. I do not plan to stay very long so the salt would not be a problem. I would wash it out right after.

The main part of the beach is actually considered a Texas State Hiway and it can be easily driven with any street legal vehicle for the first 5 miles or so. In fact, being a State Hiway it is technically illegal to operate a non-street legal vehicle on it. The sides closest to the roadway are packed pretty solid, but the closer up to the dunes you get the softer the sand gets. But over the years that I've been going down there I've seen lots of RVs, trailers, tents, etc camped near the dunes. And if you do get stuck there's almost always someone coming by that will lend a hand to get you out. A lot of locals run down there to surf fish and many of them have 4wd vehicles and they're typical friendly Texans.

I'd suggest stopping at the end of the pavement (there's a parking lot there and restrooms), and walking down the beach a way first to get a lay of the land before venturing out on the beach hiway.

[Kidoo]

Kayteg1 wrote:
Per my experience salty breeze is worse than sand on the beach.
We had car park couple miles from the sea and after 2 years had holes in the hood.
I spend weeks on Mexican sand and did not see any alarming corrosion.
My Prevost has SS siding, but still lot of black steel under.
There is sand and sand. The one on the picture right side is kind of wet and hold my 15 tons coach just fine, but I would not dare to drive on yellow sand close to the water.
But than, Mexicans drove their 2WD cars on it every day.

Nice place, I wanna go! Mexico will probably be my next travel destination

[Kayteg1]

Per my experience salty breeze is worse than sand on the beach.
We had car park couple miles from the sea and after 2 years had holes in the hood.
I spend weeks on Mexican sand and did not see any alarming corrosion.
My Prevost has SS siding, but still lot of black steel under.
There is sand and sand. The one on the picture right side is kind of wet and hold my 15 tons coach just fine, but I would not dare to drive on yellow sand close to the water.
But than, Mexicans drove their 2WD cars on it every day.

[Kidoo]

bob_nestor wrote:

barmcd wrote:
I don't know that I'd take something that heavy out on that sand. I've never seen a class A out there at the National Seashore. It's a pretty expensive tow is you get stuck.

There are 18-wheelers that travel the first couple of miles down the beach every day servicing the oil wells out there.

Ok, so the road must be pretty hard, sounds good. I do not plan to stay very long so the salt would not be a problem. I would wash it out right after.

[bob_nestor]

barmcd wrote:
I don't know that I'd take something that heavy out on that sand. I've never seen a class A out there at the National Seashore. It's a pretty expensive tow is you get stuck.

There are 18-wheelers that travel the first couple of miles down the beach every day servicing the oil wells out there.

[Kidoo]

Thanks for all your info.. I think I would go and check it out first. I know the sand beach is hard in some area but I don't think I would venture if I do not see any other MH.

[barmcd]

I don't know that I'd take something that heavy out on that sand. I've never seen a class A out there at the National Seashore. It's a pretty expensive tow is you get stuck.

[Gjac]

It really depends on your risk level or your experience level with beach camping. I stayed at the govt camp ground 4 or 5 days 3 years ago for $4/night with the senior pass. I saw quite a few 5th wheels and Class A's camping along the beach north and south of the CG for free. We drove our tow car 7 miles south along the beach and the sand was hard packed and the tires did not sink in. It looked like fun to camp and fish right on the shore line. I figured for $4/night why get myself stuck not knowing what I was doing. If you are going to stay for a while and fish it may be worth talking to someone that does it all the time.

[newman_fulltime]

Bob hall pier is where you need

[Teacher_s_Pet]

Had a couple of friends, who happen to be retired science teachers that volunteered at a wildlife refuge on the coast several years back with their fairly new Bounder during sea turtle hatching season. They were parked on a paved hookup site on the land side of the dunes for two to three months. When they got back home, he ended up replacing around 300 rusted screws with with stainless steel screws, along with some prepping and touch up of rusted steel frame components, in and around the basement compartments. Needless to say, they declined when invited back the next year. He said the off shore winds were terrible for salt spray and they had hosed down their coach every week or so.

[traindriver]

At Port Aransas you can camp on the beach or there is a state park campground. The campground is electric and water with a dump station. Port A is about 20 miles North of Padre Island National Seashore. It would be my choice if I were wanting to camp on the beach.

[bob_nestor]

Malaquite Beach in Padre Island National Seashore just south of Corpus Christi has a paved parking area where you can camp for a couple dollars a nite. No hookups, but there are restrooms, showers and a dump station. The parking lot is within about 100 ft of the beach. You can also drive onto the beach and camp if you'd like. The beach road for about 5 miles south is a State Rd and in good enough condition for any vehicle, beyond that you could have some problems.

But, as others have said - sand and salt water spray. Even in the parking lot you'll get some salt water spray. The sunrises are nice though as is the warm breeze coming on shore.

There's also a parking area where you can camp on the lee side where the salt spray and breeze isn't as strong.